Ibrahim Emmanuel De La Cruz, a 25-year-old resident of Washington D.C., has been extradited to face charges related to high-volume thefts of U.S. Mail and an armed robbery incident. The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Special Agent-in-Charge Jacob Cameron from the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington Field Office.
The criminal complaint, which spans 43 pages and was filed in September 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, accuses De La Cruz of multiple counts of theft or receipt of stolen mail and the armed robbery of a postal maintenance worker on August 10, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Graves stated, “The defendant is charged with robbing a postal worker and repeatedly raiding mail collection boxes, apparently seeking to use the checks, credit cards, and personal identifying information he stole for his financial benefit." He emphasized their readiness to work with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service to hold accountable those who assault postal workers or steal mail.
Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood highlighted the importance of protecting postal workers from violent crimes: “Protecting postal workers from crimes of violence and bringing those criminals who perpetuate these crimes to justice is of great importance." He noted that this case underscores the critical role Postal Inspectors play in safeguarding mail integrity.
The investigation into these incidents began in December 2023 by several federal and local law enforcement agencies including USPIS, MPD, and ACPD. It focused on high-volume mail thefts from multi-family luxury residences as well as related robberies within the Washington D.C. metropolitan area.
Investigators discovered that a suspect used stolen USPS "arrow keys" to access various mail facilities and that this suspect matched descriptions from an August 10th robbery involving a postal maintenance worker’s arrow keys while brandishing what appeared to be a pistol.
Evidence linking De La Cruz to multiple thefts included surveillance footage, social media posts, and cell phone tracking data showing his involvement in several incidents throughout February and March 2024 across different locations in Washington D.C., Arlington Va., and Bowie MD.
De La Cruz is also suspected of using stolen personal information for financial gain such as obtaining bank accounts and credit cards under false identities. He allegedly used funds acquired through these means for personal expenses like tuition fees and utility bills. Furthermore, De La Cruz reportedly shared a rap video on YouTube boasting about his activities.
This case is being investigated by both the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) along with assistance from Army Criminal Investigation Division personnel; prosecution efforts are led by Assistant U.S Attorney Shehzad Akhtar.
It should be noted that at this stage all allegations remain unproven until established beyond reasonable doubt within legal proceedings according to standard judicial protocols regarding presumption-of-innocence rights afforded defendants under law.